Monica Alleven

Verizon Wireless is asking the Federal Communications Commission for permission to use a portion of the 37.6-40 GHz band in part of northwest Arkansas for testing purposes as it develops different healthcare-related use cases and devices with an unnamed corporate partner. The application seeks a testing schedule of 12 months. Ericsson is noted as supplying three demonstration units and “multiple mobile manufacturers” for supplying 20 demo units.

For all the talk about 5G, operators still prefer to keep some things to themselves, such as exactly how many 5G cell sites they’re deploying. CTIA, which lobbies for the big wireless carriers in the US, has estimated the industry may need more than 800,000 small cells by 2026.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced his intent for the FCC to conduct a public auction of 280 megahertz of the C-band in letters like this to lawmakers following a weekend of speculation about how the C-Band Alliances latest proposal would be received.

The decision by Mississippi's Attorney General to switch sides to support the proposed T-Mobile/Sprint merger immediately triggered questions about whether other states would follow suit. But MS is unique in its decision—and there’s little reason to suggest a slew of other states will follow in its footsteps.

T-Mobile and Sprint filed their opposition to calls for a formal comment period on proposed changes to their planned merger, saying petitioners already have had plenty of time to comment and it’s time for the Federal Communications Commission to act. The August 9 filing came after the Wireless Internet Services Providers Association (WISPA) on 

The Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) is adding its voice to those calling on the Federal Communications Commission to open a public comment period since new developments were made related to the proposed merger of T-Mobile and Sprint. WISPA, which previously called for a public comment period, notes the series of agreements that T-Mobile and Sprint entered into with the Department of Justice in July. Those conditions include the divestiture of certain spectrum assets to Dish Network.

Amid reports that the Department of Justice (DoJ) is exploring conditions that could create a fourth competitor if the proposed combination of T-Mobile and Sprint were to happen, analysts raised a number of questions around how such a deal might be accomplished.

Members of the 4Competition Coalition met recently with Federal Communications Commissioners Brendan Carr, Michael O’Rielly, and Geoffrey Starks, as well as advisers to Chairman Ajit Pai and other FCC officials, to reiterate their opposition to the proposed merger. The 4Competition Coalition consists of Dish Network, AFL-CIO, Common Cause, Rural Wireless Association and more than a dozen other entities. Their meetings come as several Wall Street analysts have lowered the odds that the deal will go through.

While the C-Band Alliance (CBA) proposal for the 3.7-4.2 GHz band remains in the lead, other proposals for this important midband spectrum could catch up, according to analysts at New Street Research. The 3.7-4.2 GHz band, also referred to as the C-band, is seen as one of the best chances for the US terrestrial wireless industry to get midband spectrum for 5G.

Wireless carriers would benefit if the Federal Communications Commission were to conduct an incentive auction for the 2.5 GHz airwaves that were allocated years ago for educational purposes, according to FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. The FCC in 2018 adopted a notice of proposed rulemaking to consider updating the framework for licensing Educational Broadband Service (EBS) spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band. Even though Sprint touts a boatload of 2.5 GHz spectrum, there’s a lot of EBS spectrum that lies fallow across about half of the U.S., mostly in rural areas.